Conventionally, a recoil starter can be used to manually start an internal combustion engine, such as, for example, a small two-stroke engine. A rope pulley can be rotated by pulling an attached recoil rope that is wound onto the rope pulley, thereby transmitting a rotational force to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine by way of a ratchet and/or clutch mechanism between the pulley and a flywheel and crankshaft. Rotation of the crankshaft drives a piston and can help to provide fuel for ignition. Rotation of the flywheel can also cause a magneto to power a spark plug, creating a spark for ignition of the engine fuel.
In operating such a starter mechanism, abrupt changes in the engine torque due to the compression of an air/fuel mixture by the piston and the cylinder within the engine can result in an uneven and jarring pulling force during starting, and possibly even some kickback forces. These forces can make starting the engine difficult for a user.
To reduce these fluctuations in pulling force, starter mechanisms can be provided with a buffering component, such as a spring. In such a solution, rotational energy stored within the buffering spring component can be used to assist in transmitting a rotational force to the engine crankshaft during periods of higher required torque, thereby dampening the pulling force required by the operator and smoothing the starting operation for the user. However, some fluctuations in the pulling force may still be present. Thus, there is a continuing need for an improved starting device for starting an internal combustion engine.